American teenagers are experiencing a troubling decline in reading ability, with new international test results revealing that 15-year-olds in the United States have reached reading proficiency levels not seen in nearly a quarter century.

Sharp Decline in Reading Performance

The Program for International Student Assessment administered tests last year to approximately 760,000 students across 91 countries. The results show American teens dropped 14 points in reading since 2022, while math and science scores remained relatively stable. According to Tracey Burns of the National Center on Education and the Economy, this 14-point decrease represents roughly half a year of lost schooling for these students.

Naomi Baron of American University described the findings bluntly, saying the numbers are awful. The decline places American students behind many peers in Asian nations, including Singapore, Japan, and China. The assessment included 4,600 American students from 144 schools, though this sample size falls below the recommended target for comprehensive analysis.

A Global Problem Getting Worse

The United States is not alone in this educational crisis. Global reading scores have plummeted 35 points since 2012, with math down 30 points and science dropping 19 points over the same period. Experts anticipated a rebound after schools reopened following the pandemic, but recovery has not materialized. Burns noted that this lack of improvement represents a major concern for education systems worldwide.

The decline predates the pandemic, suggesting deeper structural problems. Baron pointed to the erosion of reading culture in many countries as a significant factor. Digital technology, internet usage, and social media have fundamentally altered how young people consume information, with research showing lower comprehension levels when reading on screens compared to traditional formats.

Technology’s Role in Declining Literacy

Screen-based reading changes student behavior in measurable ways. Digital readers are less likely to reread material for better understanding and face more distractions that interrupt comprehension. Baron emphasized that these technological shifts have created new challenges for developing strong reading skills in teenagers. The combination of declining reading culture and increased screen time presents obstacles that education experts struggle to address effectively.

No consensus exists among researchers about comprehensive solutions to reverse these trends. Multiple factors contribute to falling scores, making single-solution approaches inadequate. The persistence of this decline across both pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods indicates that American education faces fundamental challenges requiring serious examination and potentially significant reforms to restore reading proficiency to previous levels.